The present invention relates to an aerial device which includes an inflatable component which is inflatable from a collapsed configuration to an inflated aerofoil configuration and which is maintained inflated in flight by air introduced into the component through air intake means as a result of relative motion of the component and the surrounding air and is particularly although not exclusively concerned with an aerial device for use in controlling the aerial descent of a load.
It is now a common requirement to provide parachutes which are highly maneuverable during descent. A form of highly maneuverable parachute now widely used and commonly known as a ram-air or aerofoil parachute has an inflatable canopy which when inflated during descent takes up a rectangular shape in planform and an aerofoil shape in section. Such aerofoil parachutes give to the parachutist a high degree of glide control, enabling him to follow any one of a variety of descent flight paths with precision.
In aerofoil parachutes commonly used, the canopy is formed by fabric upper and lower surfaces connected together by a plurality of fabric ribs which are spaced apart across the canopy to form with the surfaces side-by-side cells. The cells thus formed are open at the leading edge of the canopy and extend rearwardly from the open leading edge to the trailing edge of the canopy which is closed. The open leading edge although providing for efficient inflation of the canopy necessarily limits the performance of the canopy as an aerofoil.
Where an attempt is made to close the leading edge of the canopy and to provide for inflation by an air intake elsewhere on the canopy it is found that the canopy at the closed leading edge is not well supported by inflation air introduced into the canopy and tends to collapse.